It may be a Panthers ‘home’ fixture, but Round 25 will see the four-time reigning premiers tackle NRL frontrunners the Canberra Raiders more than 200 kilometres from Penrith at Glen Willow Stadium in Mudgee.
While it will be the first time the Panthers have featured in Mudgee, it’s actually the third time the club has transferred a home clash against the Raiders in nine seasons, following previous matches at Bathurst’s Carrington Park in 2016 and 2017—both won by Penrith.
No strangers to looking beyond the Blue Mountains for talent, or opportunities, the Panthers have been hosting annual matches in Bathurst since the 2014 NRL season.
The latest move to Mudgee sees the club continue to expand its pathways program into the Central West of New South Wales, through an arrangement that will also bring a Panthers home game to Glen Willow Stadium in 2026.
MORE: NRL team lists: Every side’s predicted lineup for Round 25
Earlier this season, Ivan Cleary’s men lost 25-6 to the Newcastle Knights in Bathurst playing without their Origin stars in Round 12.
It was a result that saw the premiers fall to outright last on the NRL ladder, but is now widely considered as being the catalyst for the Panthers’ subsequent premiership revival.
The first NRL game played at Glen Willow Stadium took place in May 2013 when 9,132 fans saw the Gold Coast Titans demolish the Parramatta Eels 42–4.
Penrith and Canberra famously met in the 1990 and 1991 grand finals, with each club winning one title.
